# Dwight Powell
**Dwight Powell** (born 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball player, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward-center who has played NBA games for both the [Boston Celtics](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-celtics) and the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-mavericks) after being drafted 45th overall by the [Charlotte Hornets](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-hornets) in 2014.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203939) • [16](https://www.nba.com/player/203939/dwight-powell/bio) A second-round pick who arrived in Dallas in a December 2014 trade, he became the team's longest-tenured player, serving mainly as a screen-and-dive center and, for long stretches, as the starting five beside Luka Dončić.[2](https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/spurred-coincidence-fuelled-tragedy-dwight-powell-wont-hold-back/) • [3](https://basketballbeacon.com/dwight-powell-player-profile-stats/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[4](https://gostanford.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/season/2010-11/player/dwight-powell) |
| Physical profile | 6'10" (2.08 m), 240 lb (109 kg); at the 2014 combine he measured 6'11" in shoes with a 7'0.5" wingspan and a 35-inch vertical leap[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203939) • [5](https://www.nba.com/mavs/how-dwight-powell-is-making-a-name-for-himself) |
| Draft | 2014 NBA Draft, second round, 15th pick (45th overall), by the Charlotte Hornets[6](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/poweldw01.html) |
| College | Stanford, four seasons (2010–14); Pac-12 Most Improved Player (2012-13) and All-Pac-12 First Team as a junior and senior[7](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf) |
| NBA experience | 12 seasons with Boston and Dallas; career averages of 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game (2025-26 listing)[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203939) • [16](https://www.nba.com/player/203939/dwight-powell/bio) |
| Major injury | Ruptured Achilles tendon in early 2020[8](https://heavy.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks/dwight-powell-right-fit-starting-center/) |
| Current contract | One year, $3,876,528 (minimum salary exception) signed September 25, 2026; unrestricted free agent after 2026-27[9](https://www.salaryswish.com/players/dwight-powell) |
## Early life and college
Powell is originally from Toronto and moved to the United States for his final years of high school, playing at [IMG Academy](https://www.edgepedia.org/img-academy) in [Bradenton, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/bradenton-florida). As a senior he averaged 23.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game, and Rivals.com ranked him the No. 7 power forward and No. 23 player overall in the 2010 class.[4](https://gostanford.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/season/2010-11/player/dwight-powell) His backup choice to Stanford was Harvard.[2](https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/spurred-coincidence-fuelled-tragedy-dwight-powell-wont-hold-back/)
At Stanford he played all four seasons, a fact NBA scouts viewed as a mild negative because it left him less runway to develop than younger prospects.[5](https://www.nba.com/mavs/how-dwight-powell-is-making-a-name-for-himself) As a freshman he averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds and made the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.[4](https://gostanford.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/season/2010-11/player/dwight-powell) He was named Pac-12 Most Improved Player in 2012-13, earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors in each of his last two seasons, and won the 2012 NIT with the Cardinal.[7](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf)
## NBA path and playing style
The Charlotte Hornets selected Powell 45th overall in 2014, but he was traded to the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-cavaliers) on draft night, moved again to the Boston Celtics on the eve of training camp, and then sent to Dallas before Christmas of his rookie season in the trade that brought [Rajon Rondo](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajon-rondo) to the Mavericks.[2](https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/spurred-coincidence-fuelled-tragedy-dwight-powell-wont-hold-back/) In his rookie year he logged twice as many minutes in the G-League as in the NBA.[2](https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/spurred-coincidence-fuelled-tragedy-dwight-powell-wont-hold-back/)
**A specialist's role.** Powell's game is built on mobility and efficiency at close range rather than volume scoring. He is described as a screen-and-dive style five-man who is very efficient from point-blank range, and he has been valued for his screen setting, his rolling, and his communication on defense.[3](https://basketballbeacon.com/dwight-powell-player-profile-stats/) His limitations are physical: at 6-foot-10 he is undersized for a traditional NBA center, and his wingspan and standing reach are modest for the position, which limits his rim protection.[8](https://heavy.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks/dwight-powell-right-fit-starting-center/) • [10](https://thesmokingcuban.com/2016/07/05/dwight-powell-fit-dallas-mavericks/)
Defensive evaluation of Powell has been contested. Traditional box scores show limited shot-blocking, and he functions more as a rim runner than a rim protector, but coaching staffs have valued his lateral quickness, discipline, and system fit.[11](https://www.metroleague.org/is-dwight-powell-a-good-defender/) Tracking data supports a favorable view of his shot defense: he defended shots better than the median NBA defender in 8 of his 11 seasons with a usable sample between 2015-16 and 2025-26.[12](https://www.sportiveworld.com/en/player/ff2b4f51-1a8c-4189-a1c4-b073decdf3ab)
## Achilles injury and later career
Powell ruptured his [Achilles tendon](https://www.edgepedia.org/achilles-tendon) in early 2020, and the injury reduced the explosiveness that had let him compensate for his size; he has been described as having lost a step since.[8](https://heavy.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks/dwight-powell-right-fit-starting-center/) He returned to play and remained with Dallas, and in 2025-26 he averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in his 12th NBA season.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203939) On September 25, 2026 he re-signed with the Mavericks on a one-year, $3,876,528 minimum-salary contract with $1,000,000 guaranteed, and he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2026-27, when he is 35.[9](https://www.salaryswish.com/players/dwight-powell) • [13](https://www.nba.com/celtics/player/203939/dwight-powell)
## Community work
Powell has been recognized for off-court contributions. Mavericks owner [Mark Cuban](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-cuban) called him "the definition of selfless" and said he should be a candidate for the NBA Cares Award every year.[14](https://www.nba.com/mavs/powellnbacares) In spring 2020 he joined Cuban, teammate [Luka Dončić](https://www.edgepedia.org/luka-doncic), and the Dallas Mavericks Foundation in donating to healthcare workers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital to support childcare costs during the coronavirus pandemic.[7](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf) The Dwight Powell Children and Family Support Program at UT Southwestern helps families maintain a level of normalcy while undergoing cancer treatments.[15](https://www.shiftkey.com/resources/blog/in-the-community-with-the-dallas-mavericks)
## References
1. [Dwight Powell stats profile, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203939)
2. [Spurred by coincidence, fuelled by tragedy, Dwight Powell won't hold back, Sportsnet](https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/spurred-coincidence-fuelled-tragedy-dwight-powell-wont-hold-back/)
3. [Dwight Powell Player Profile, Basketball Beacon](https://basketballbeacon.com/dwight-powell-player-profile-stats/)
4. [Dwight Powell, Stanford Men's Basketball 2010-11 roster](https://gostanford.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/season/2010-11/player/dwight-powell)
5. [How Dwight Powell is making a name for himself, Dallas Mavericks](https://www.nba.com/mavs/how-dwight-powell-is-making-a-name-for-himself)
6. [Dwight Powell Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/poweldw01.html)
7. [2024-25 Dallas Mavericks Media Guide](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf)
8. [Mavs: Is Dwight Powell the Right Fit at Starting Center?, Heavy.com](https://heavy.com/sports/nba/dallas-mavericks/dwight-powell-right-fit-starting-center/)
9. [Dwight Powell Contract and Salary Details, SalarySwish](https://www.salaryswish.com/players/dwight-powell)
10. [Where Does Dwight Powell Fit in With the Dallas Mavericks?, The Smoking Cuban](https://thesmokingcuban.com/2016/07/05/dwight-powell-fit-dallas-mavericks/)
11. [Is Dwight Powell a Good Defender? Mobility vs. Muscle, Metro League](https://www.metroleague.org/is-dwight-powell-a-good-defender/)
12. [Dwight Powell, NBA stats and analysis, SportiveWorld](https://www.sportiveworld.com/en/player/ff2b4f51-1a8c-4189-a1c4-b073decdf3ab)
13. [Dwight Powell News, Updates & Latest Videos, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/celtics/player/203939/dwight-powell)
14. [Mark Cuban: 'Dwight should be a candidate for the NBA Cares Award every year', Dallas Mavericks](https://www.nba.com/mavs/powellnbacares)
15. [In the Community With the Dallas Mavericks, ShiftKey](https://www.shiftkey.com/resources/blog/in-the-community-with-the-dallas-mavericks)
16. [Dwight Powell, Forward-Center, Dallas Mavericks, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/203939/dwight-powell/bio)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Current NBA players › Centers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license